(Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for AT&T)
Jess Smith
President, Golden State Valkyries
With record TV ratings and attendance fueled by a star-studded rookie class drawing attention alongside established stars, the WNBA is hotter than ever, making it an ideal time to expand for the first time since 2008.
The Golden State Valkyries will take the court in 2025 as the WNBA’s 13th franchise. Helming the team is Jess Smith, who knows something about using a grassroots groundswell to create a lasting community connection.
Smith, who started as team president in February 2024, joined the team from Angel City Football Club, Los Angeles’ National Women’s Soccer League team, where she served as head of revenue from the team’s inception in 2020.
“As I reflect back, saying yes to Angel City as an idea and as a true startup is what I feel most passionate about,” she says.” I knew in my being that there was an opportunity to build within women’s sports with a powerful mindset. To take an idea and make it a reality with a handful of people is remarkable.” Now, she’s ready to take those combined experiences to launch the 13th WNBA team, which she says is “representative of the Bay Area’s tenacity to create legacy on and off the court” and “is an honor to be a part of.”
Prior to her time at Angel City, Smith served as vice president of sponsorship for the MLS San Jose Earthquakes from 2017-’20; and for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets from 2015-16. Smith also spent time working for baseball’s Oakland Athletics from 2008-15 in roles within ticketing and sponsorship.
Her first job in sports was with the Auburn Doubledays, a former member of the Single-A, short-season New York-Penn League.
With her experience in the NWSL Smith, recognizes that women’s sports are in a boom era that has to be seized if it’s to be sustainable.
“I hope to lead a group of employees to constantly strive to think about experience and customer service in a way that inspires others to be a part of what we are building,” she said. “We can never lose sight of the fact that we are asking people to choose us to spend their time and money on, and we need to do our best to create a can’t-miss experience that everyone feels invited in to be a part of. Bringing that event mindset to women’s sports, with expectations high, will continue to set the bar in the growth happening in women’s sports.”
